After practice on any typically hot summer day in August, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota fielded questions about the Ducks' chances of being part of the inaugural College Football Playoff, and the groundswell of attention that has come his way.

When you're a Heisman Trophy frontrunner on the nation's third-ranked team with the pieces in place to make a national championship run, it's difficult to avoid the spotlight. Make that impossible.

Mariota was featured in USA Today and The New York Times in the past week and the season hasn't even kicked off yet. He is the face of a program that former coach Chip Kelly elevated to national power status.

So how much is the laid back junior from Honolulu who former teammate Kenjon Barner said oozed "Hawaiian cool" enjoying the national attention?

"Not at all," Mariota said this week, allowing himself a wry smile. "To be honest, for me I like to keep my personal life private. With more media, kind of bigger media's coming in and that's getting tougher."

No one is asking Mariota to weigh in on discord in the Middle East, or on issues closer to home in Ferguson, Mo. All Oregon fans want from Mariota is for him to deliver the school's first national championship.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota on Aug 25, 2014.

In Corvallis, the unranked Beavers continue to fly under the radar, which suits this blue collar program just fine. Oregon State was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 North in the preseason conference media poll.

"It's kind of an every year thing, we expect it," junior wide receiver Richard Mullaney said. "We have a chip on our shoulder to prove them wrong."

OSU has a Heisman Trophy candidate of its own in senior quarterback Sean Mannion, who is on pace to become the Pac-12's career leader in passing yards by midseason.

On the national stage, there has been much discussion about the four-team College Football Playoff, which replaces the BCS after its 16-year run that produced more controversy than clarity.

A 13-member selection committee will pick the Final Four using a criteria that is not entirely clear, although won-loss record, strength of schedule, and head-to-head matchups are sure to be components in the equation.

With four playoff teams and five major conferences, there's bound to be controversy. You think the team that finishes No. 5 may want to launch an investigation?

The first weekly poll will be released Oct. 28, with the final rankings Dec. 7. I'd prefer an eight-team playoff, but this is a step in the right direction. For at least the next 12 years, a four-team playoff is the law of the land in major college football.

Here are some predictions for the 2014 season:

Oregon State

If the Beavers avoid a slip up against lower division opponent Portland State in Saturday's opener at Reser Stadium – OSU lost season openers at home to FCS teams Sacramento State and Eastern Washington in two of the past three years – they should be 3-0 heading into the Pac-12 opener Sept. 27 at USC.

Mannion has a gunslinger's mentality, but if the Beavers are unable to develop a consistent running game with junior Storm Woods and senior Terron Ward it won't matter how many passing yards he wracks up.

There is concern in the offensive line with junior center Isaac Seumalo (foot) sidelined, and replacing all-America receiver Brandin Cooks won't be easy.

There are fewer questions on defense with a senior-laded back seven led by linebacker Michael Doctor and cornerback Steven Nelson, the Pac-12 co-leader last season with six interceptions.

OSU plays five of its nine conference games at home, but there are difficult road challenges at USC, Stanford, and No. 25 Washington.

The Civil War will be played in Corvallis, which is good news for the Beavers. Then again, OSU has lost six games in a row to its in-state rival.

Oregon: The Ducks won 11 games last season and finished No. 9 in the polls, but late-season losses at Stanford and Arizona made that accomplishment seem pedestrian.

A midseason knee injury to Mariota, which limited him as a running threat in the read option, combined with Oregon's inability to stop the run, were major factors in the two defeats.

Mariota is healthy entering the 2014 campaign and likely turned down millions of dollars as a projected early first-round NFL draft pick to spend one more season in Eugene, earn a degree, and work on his craft. Oregon's hopes for a dream season are contingent on Mariota staying healthy.

The Ducks also need to show improvement in the trenches, especially on defense. Stanford and Arizona punished Oregon on third-and-short running plays that sustained drives and kept Mariota and company off the field.

Mammoth junior defensive linemen Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner could be on the verge of breakout seasons, and the rest of the defense should be strong led by senior linebacker Derrick Malone and senior all-America cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.

Oregon has so much talent at running back that junior Byron Marshall, whose 1,038 rushing yards is tops among returning Pac-12 players, and sophomore Thomas Tyner (711 yards), could be supplanted as lead backs by true freshman Royce Freeman.

If the Ducks end two years of frustration and get past Stanford, a national championship run will remain on track. The feeling here is that will happen.

Pac-12 game of the year: Nov. 1, Stanford at Oregon. The Cardinal dashed Oregon's national title hopes the past two seasons. Redemption awaits the Ducks at Autzen Stadium.

Pac-12 championship game: Dec. 5, Oregon vs. UCLA, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif. After losing at UCLA on Oct. 11, the Ducks make amends for the only blemish on their resume by winning the rematch and moving on to the Final Four.

National highlights

National game of the year: Nov. 29, Auburn at Alabama. The 2013 Iron Bowl produced one of the most memorable plays in college football history. Auburn's Chris Davis fielded a 57-yard field goal attempt nine yards deep in his own end zone and returned it for the game-winning touchdown on the final play.

Auburn lost to Florida State in the last BCS national championship game, and Alabama was denied an opportunity for a fourth national title in five years.

Heisman Trophy winner: Mariota. The premier dual-threat quarterback in the nation takes home the bronze statue if the Ducks reach the national semifinals. What about 2013 recipient Jameis Winston of Florida State? Well, 13 former Heisman winners have returned to school and only Ohio State's Archie Griffin (1974-75) was a repeat winner.